OOC - Hellpointe Application
Player Info
Player Name: Rose
Player LJ: dancing_in_time
Player Instant Messenger Type and Handle: AIM: ladyotrings
Player Email: ladyotrings@yahoo.com
Are you 18 years of age or older? Yes, 22
Character Info
Character Name: Kuchiki Byakuya (Byakuya Kuchiki in Western)
Character’s Age: Unknown. He is at the very least just a little over 110, but because Shinigami don’t age like humans, he could be much older. But he’s pretty young compared to others.
Fandom: Bleach
Timeline: After his fight with Zommari Leroux, chapter 302
Appearance: Current appearance, complete with blood!
Full body shot.
Byakuya is 5’11” and even though he isn’t a mountain, like some men, he doesn’t need height to be imposing or to get his wishes across. His posture is great, while standing or sitting, and he only slouches if he is badly wounded, but otherwise his pride is too great to let his weakness on his body. Byakuya appears to be a Lineface all the time, but his expressions are most notable in his eyes. They widen when he is surprised and narrow when he is annoyed. If he closes his eyes, it can be taken as a dismissal of whoever he is speaking to, or a sign of weariness because of who is talking. His eyes are gray.
Despite his baggy clothes, Byakuya is very lithe, and though he is strong, he doesn’t have noticeable muscles. His clothing consists of the standard Shinigami uniform, along with tabi socks, a white obi, and waraji sandals, and as well as tekkou gloves. The signs of his nobility are his white scarf (which is worth the amount of ten mansions) and his hair kenseikan, which symbolize his being Head of the Kuchiki Clan. The kenseikan are worn on the top of his hair, as well as the right side.
Based on his canon pull point, he does not have his Captain’s haori. His left arm and left leg are also bleeding since he has cut off the nerves in order to keep Zommari from controlling him, and he has some blood on the left side of his face, which has dripped onto his scarf.
History: History is filled with the sound of silken slippers going downstairs and wooden shoes coming up.
Personality: Kuchiki Byakuya is a man with two faces, and two personalities, to a point. At first glance, one might think him cold and arrogant because he distances himself from others, especially if they are commoners or just not on his level of nobility. And as the current head of his family, this makes sense for him to act in such a way. Nobles do not mix with those below them. He has to live up to the expectations of his rank and birthright and he must act accordingly, even if it means looking down his nose at nearly everyone else. He has stated before that because the Kuchikis are one of the most powerful families in Soul Society, everyone looks to him in order to know what the rules are and how to follow them. If he himself does not uphold those rules, then who will? This is the side that most people will ever see.
Byakuya rarely shows weakness openly. Even if he is injured in battle, he will not show emotions or give the opponent satisfaction in seeing him weak. His pride is too strong and would suffer greatly if he broke in front of someone. There are very few exceptions to this, however. For example, Abarai Renji has managed to bring Byakuya to a knee in battle, even after Byakuya said it could never be done by someone of his level. He did not defeat Byakuya, but even such a small action affects the captain, and his proud nature is wounded.
This pride also justifies the near disgust he has for others who have fallen from grace. The Shiba Clan used to be one of the noble families, so when Byakuya comes across Shiba Ganju, who is helping in Rukia’s rescue, Byakuya attacks relentlessly, nearly killing the other man. In Byakuya’s mind, the Shibas have disgraced themselves and are not worthy of respect. He also corrects people if they do not refer to him respectfully. Ichigo seems to be the only person who has gotten away with calling him by his given name only, though Byakuya is clearly bothered by it. Shihouin Yoruichi, on the other hand, has bothered him since he was younger, and he still is jealous that she is faster than him at Shunpo. She taught him one of her techniques, which he hates using since it reminds him of her.
While this side of him would be normal and acceptable, Byakuya is not so simple. A lot of change has occurred in his life. When he was younger, he was hot-headed and easily annoyed, mostly by Yoruichi who would steal his hair tie and play tag, even though she was always faster. There is a gap between this Byakuya and who he is today that has not been explained in canon, but there are plenty of possibilities. His father, Soujun, never reached captaincy or became Head of the Clan, and was killed in a Hollow attack before he ever could. It is unknown when this happened, but it could have been when Byakuya was a child, and thus easily impressionable. Losing a close parent can’t have been easy for him at all. His mother also died at some point.
Another possibility is his station itself. A respectable Head can’t be rash or lash out because of annoyances only. That would show weakness, and the Kuchikis are not weak. However, Byakuya was never the same after his wife, Hisana, died. And the interesting part is that she was a common street rat. We do not know why he married her, only that he broke the rules of the Kuchiki family in marrying a commoner. After her death, he had promised on his parents’ graves that he wouldn’t break the rules again, but he also had promised Hisana that he would find and protect Rukia, like Hisana had tried to do. So when her execution came up, he was unsure what to do or whose promise to break.
Rukia’s attempted execution is where the “cold” Byakuya really had a change of heart. Having been persuaded by Ichigo that doing the right thing is more important than following some rules, Byakuya has become slightly more lenient in that area. He still considers structure important, but sometimes he bends the rules to help out with the greater good. That way he can keep up appearances and still make a difference. One instance was when Renji and Rukia wanted to help Ichigo save Inoue Orihime from Hueco Mundo, though they weren’t allowed to go. Byakuya had been ordered to bring them back from the Real World, but let them go on his watch because his orders had nothing to do with keeping them in Soul Society.
Despite his cold exterior, Byakuya really does care for those close to him. His family is obviously important to him, and even if he doesn’t openly admit it, he’s very protective of her. He made sure she wasn’t given a seated officer’s position when she joined the Gotei 13 because he knew it would put her in more danger than a normal grunt would see, though befriending Ichigo nullified that. He also has developed respect for Renji after watching the other man work so hard to meet his level and finally was able to touch him in battle. Ichigo has also earned his grudging respect.
Byakuya does not speak unless he needs to, and when he does his words are always meaningful. If he doesn’t like someone, he isn’t afraid to use pretty, but harsh, words to get his point across. When he speaks as such, he can come across as an arrogant noble, though his power does justify a good deal of what he says. Even though he is proud, he also is very private. This is most likely because of his need for order. If anyone were to see him in moments of emotional weakness, if he allows himself that, then it would cancel out the appearance he has in public. Byakuya also like cherry blossoms, walks at night, spicy food, bananas (but not sweets), and is especially fond of calligraphy.
Powers/Abilities: As a Shinigami captain, Byakuya has many different abilities. Not only is he a master swordsman, but he also ranks highly in Shunpo (flash-step) and Kidou (magic). His reiatsu (spiritual pressure) is also immense and can be felt from quite a distance, as well as bring some weaker people to his knees if he is near and exerting it. This reiatsu is a good sign of his high power. He can recognize others’ reiatsu, as well, and even identify them if he knows them well.
Every Shinigami has a zanpakutou, or katana, and Byakuya’s is Senbonzakura. Each zanpakutou is unique and born with their Shinigami, as well as dying with them. They are sentient, having a spirit of their own, but work in tandem with their Shinigami. As their bond and trust deepens, the zanpakutou allows their Shinigami to learn of the blade’s releases, called Shikai and Bankai. As a Captain, Byakuya has reached both.
When Senbonzakura’s Shikai is activated by Byakuya, the blade of the katana literally scatters into one thousand tiny blades, which appear as sakura petals. The blades fly toward the opponent and are controlled as a whole unit by Byakuya swinging the hilt, as if he were still fighting with a normal katana. This attack can stop most opponents on its own, unless they are higher-level, such as another Captain, or someone of similar skill.
Senbonzakura’s Bankai is more complicated. Senbonzakura Kageyoshi is very much like the Shikai attack, only multiplied. To activate it, Byakuya drops his zanpakutou, blade-tip down, into the ground, which then swallows it up. Then two rows of a thousand giant sword blades rise on either side of him and those blades scatter into the “sakura petals,” just like in his Shikai. He can use this attack both offensively and defensively, as well as control the blades’ path with his own hand for more efficiency.
His Bankai can also take three other forms for maximum overkill power. Senkei is a more concentrated attack form, as Senbonzakura forms itself into four vertical rows of glowing swords, circling around Byakuya and his opponent. Instead of using the “petals” of his Shikai and Bankai, Byakuya calls each sword to him and fights sword-to-sword. He uses Senkei when he has sworn to destroy an enemy.
Gokei goes back to the “petal” attack, increasing the amount of tiny blades and surrounding the opponent in a sphere of those swirling blades. They then attack at every angle and eventually the sphere implodes, defeating the opponent that way. Byakuya has no defense against Gokei and has had to retreat to save himself from the power.
Shuukei: Hakuteiken is another sword fighting technique, making every tiny blade into one extremely powerful sword. Because of this power, it takes the shape of a bird and Byakuya appears to have bright white wings and a halo, giving him the ability to actually fly. One attack from this sword can cause grievous injury to the opponent.
As for Shunpo, Byakuya is well-known for being quite proficient in it, as well as two techniques. Senka involves moving so quickly, as well as attacking them, that it seems as if he just appears at his opponent’s back, leaving them, and untrained eyes, to wonder where the attack came from and when. Utsusemi is when he moves so quickly that he leaves behind “clones.” This is beneficial in distracting an opponent and giving Byakuya an opening should they fall for his clone.
He has been shown to use Kidou spells up to #81 and can cast them quickly and without the incantation. Because of his strength, he can even make lower level Kidou very dangerous.
Limitations: His reiatsu will be decreased by half. It will still be pretty powerful, but won’t produce the same reactions he’s used to. He can still recognize others if they are near enough to exert their reiatsu.
His Shikai and Bankai will remain intact, but using them for over fifteen minutes each will begin to wear on his physical strength. Senkei, Gokei, and Shuukei: Hakuteiken can also be accessed, but Byakuya will grow tired after around ten minutes of straight conflict.
Byakuya’s Shunpo will be slowed down slightly. Anyone with a trained eye will be able to figure out his moves more easily than back in his world, especially with Senka, and the “clones” with Utsusemi may still appear, but they won’t last long or they’ll flicker in and out, giving away Byakuya’s location.
On the Kidou front, Byakuya will no longer be able to cast without saying the incantation to each spell. This will cut down on his speed in combat. He will also lose some power with the lower level spells, though he can still access all levels he has already conquered.
If the mods feel he is still too overpowered, I would be happy to revise.
Writing Samples
Third Person Sample: (387 words)
Kuchiki Byakuya was a man of two worlds. He lived acutely in both, but never existed in both at the same time. When every day began, the sun’s rays not yet reaching through his windows, Byakuya awoke in an empty bed, in an empty room, and dutifully dressed himself. This morning was no different. In the darkness, he was just a man, small and lonely in the silence. Every morning he remembered when another shared his life, and her delicate smile haunted the first waking moments.
He shed his yukata onto the futon, the wrinkled fabric laying lifeless in the dim light of morning as Byakuya carefully put on his black shihakushou, tying his hakama with his white obi. The man slipped away a little more as every piece of clothing covered his skin, replaced by the other world. During this transformation, Byakuya felt numb, neither remembering his past nor thinking of the day ahead. His movements were mechanical, honed with years of practice and muscle memory. He then put on his gloves, hiding more of the man’s skin from sight, turning into his station even more. And then came the captain’s haori, its weight over his shoulders not nearly enough to equal the weight of his captaincy.
But his fingers paused over the scarf, as they did every morning. This was where the transformation began its end, where he would shed the man and leave him behind in that dim room, and become the stone that demanded respect, loyalty. He became Kuchiki Byakuya, captain of the Sixth Division of the Gotei 13, a Shinigami.
As he wound the scarf around his pale neck, Byakuya also put on his acceptance of a life bound to decisions not of his own making. A nobleman of his stature has access to nearly limitless funds for whatever he wished, but the knowledge that his Clan relied on him to keep face held him back from a happiness, a freedom he never allowed himself to dream of.
Parting his hair accordingly, however, Byakuya clipped the kenseikan into his raven locks, signifying himself as that stone nobility for all to see. Completely changed, he willingly accepted the burden of the Head of the Kuchiki Clan once again. It was his duty and he would do his best, and more, to fulfill it.
First Person Sample: He refuses to talk to a phone.
Player Name: Rose
Player LJ: dancing_in_time
Player Instant Messenger Type and Handle: AIM: ladyotrings
Player Email: ladyotrings@yahoo.com
Are you 18 years of age or older? Yes, 22
Character Info
Character Name: Kuchiki Byakuya (Byakuya Kuchiki in Western)
Character’s Age: Unknown. He is at the very least just a little over 110, but because Shinigami don’t age like humans, he could be much older. But he’s pretty young compared to others.
Fandom: Bleach
Timeline: After his fight with Zommari Leroux, chapter 302
Appearance: Current appearance, complete with blood!
Full body shot.
Byakuya is 5’11” and even though he isn’t a mountain, like some men, he doesn’t need height to be imposing or to get his wishes across. His posture is great, while standing or sitting, and he only slouches if he is badly wounded, but otherwise his pride is too great to let his weakness on his body. Byakuya appears to be a Lineface all the time, but his expressions are most notable in his eyes. They widen when he is surprised and narrow when he is annoyed. If he closes his eyes, it can be taken as a dismissal of whoever he is speaking to, or a sign of weariness because of who is talking. His eyes are gray.
Despite his baggy clothes, Byakuya is very lithe, and though he is strong, he doesn’t have noticeable muscles. His clothing consists of the standard Shinigami uniform, along with tabi socks, a white obi, and waraji sandals, and as well as tekkou gloves. The signs of his nobility are his white scarf (which is worth the amount of ten mansions) and his hair kenseikan, which symbolize his being Head of the Kuchiki Clan. The kenseikan are worn on the top of his hair, as well as the right side.
Based on his canon pull point, he does not have his Captain’s haori. His left arm and left leg are also bleeding since he has cut off the nerves in order to keep Zommari from controlling him, and he has some blood on the left side of his face, which has dripped onto his scarf.
History: History is filled with the sound of silken slippers going downstairs and wooden shoes coming up.
Personality: Kuchiki Byakuya is a man with two faces, and two personalities, to a point. At first glance, one might think him cold and arrogant because he distances himself from others, especially if they are commoners or just not on his level of nobility. And as the current head of his family, this makes sense for him to act in such a way. Nobles do not mix with those below them. He has to live up to the expectations of his rank and birthright and he must act accordingly, even if it means looking down his nose at nearly everyone else. He has stated before that because the Kuchikis are one of the most powerful families in Soul Society, everyone looks to him in order to know what the rules are and how to follow them. If he himself does not uphold those rules, then who will? This is the side that most people will ever see.
Byakuya rarely shows weakness openly. Even if he is injured in battle, he will not show emotions or give the opponent satisfaction in seeing him weak. His pride is too strong and would suffer greatly if he broke in front of someone. There are very few exceptions to this, however. For example, Abarai Renji has managed to bring Byakuya to a knee in battle, even after Byakuya said it could never be done by someone of his level. He did not defeat Byakuya, but even such a small action affects the captain, and his proud nature is wounded.
This pride also justifies the near disgust he has for others who have fallen from grace. The Shiba Clan used to be one of the noble families, so when Byakuya comes across Shiba Ganju, who is helping in Rukia’s rescue, Byakuya attacks relentlessly, nearly killing the other man. In Byakuya’s mind, the Shibas have disgraced themselves and are not worthy of respect. He also corrects people if they do not refer to him respectfully. Ichigo seems to be the only person who has gotten away with calling him by his given name only, though Byakuya is clearly bothered by it. Shihouin Yoruichi, on the other hand, has bothered him since he was younger, and he still is jealous that she is faster than him at Shunpo. She taught him one of her techniques, which he hates using since it reminds him of her.
While this side of him would be normal and acceptable, Byakuya is not so simple. A lot of change has occurred in his life. When he was younger, he was hot-headed and easily annoyed, mostly by Yoruichi who would steal his hair tie and play tag, even though she was always faster. There is a gap between this Byakuya and who he is today that has not been explained in canon, but there are plenty of possibilities. His father, Soujun, never reached captaincy or became Head of the Clan, and was killed in a Hollow attack before he ever could. It is unknown when this happened, but it could have been when Byakuya was a child, and thus easily impressionable. Losing a close parent can’t have been easy for him at all. His mother also died at some point.
Another possibility is his station itself. A respectable Head can’t be rash or lash out because of annoyances only. That would show weakness, and the Kuchikis are not weak. However, Byakuya was never the same after his wife, Hisana, died. And the interesting part is that she was a common street rat. We do not know why he married her, only that he broke the rules of the Kuchiki family in marrying a commoner. After her death, he had promised on his parents’ graves that he wouldn’t break the rules again, but he also had promised Hisana that he would find and protect Rukia, like Hisana had tried to do. So when her execution came up, he was unsure what to do or whose promise to break.
Rukia’s attempted execution is where the “cold” Byakuya really had a change of heart. Having been persuaded by Ichigo that doing the right thing is more important than following some rules, Byakuya has become slightly more lenient in that area. He still considers structure important, but sometimes he bends the rules to help out with the greater good. That way he can keep up appearances and still make a difference. One instance was when Renji and Rukia wanted to help Ichigo save Inoue Orihime from Hueco Mundo, though they weren’t allowed to go. Byakuya had been ordered to bring them back from the Real World, but let them go on his watch because his orders had nothing to do with keeping them in Soul Society.
Despite his cold exterior, Byakuya really does care for those close to him. His family is obviously important to him, and even if he doesn’t openly admit it, he’s very protective of her. He made sure she wasn’t given a seated officer’s position when she joined the Gotei 13 because he knew it would put her in more danger than a normal grunt would see, though befriending Ichigo nullified that. He also has developed respect for Renji after watching the other man work so hard to meet his level and finally was able to touch him in battle. Ichigo has also earned his grudging respect.
Byakuya does not speak unless he needs to, and when he does his words are always meaningful. If he doesn’t like someone, he isn’t afraid to use pretty, but harsh, words to get his point across. When he speaks as such, he can come across as an arrogant noble, though his power does justify a good deal of what he says. Even though he is proud, he also is very private. This is most likely because of his need for order. If anyone were to see him in moments of emotional weakness, if he allows himself that, then it would cancel out the appearance he has in public. Byakuya also like cherry blossoms, walks at night, spicy food, bananas (but not sweets), and is especially fond of calligraphy.
Powers/Abilities: As a Shinigami captain, Byakuya has many different abilities. Not only is he a master swordsman, but he also ranks highly in Shunpo (flash-step) and Kidou (magic). His reiatsu (spiritual pressure) is also immense and can be felt from quite a distance, as well as bring some weaker people to his knees if he is near and exerting it. This reiatsu is a good sign of his high power. He can recognize others’ reiatsu, as well, and even identify them if he knows them well.
Every Shinigami has a zanpakutou, or katana, and Byakuya’s is Senbonzakura. Each zanpakutou is unique and born with their Shinigami, as well as dying with them. They are sentient, having a spirit of their own, but work in tandem with their Shinigami. As their bond and trust deepens, the zanpakutou allows their Shinigami to learn of the blade’s releases, called Shikai and Bankai. As a Captain, Byakuya has reached both.
When Senbonzakura’s Shikai is activated by Byakuya, the blade of the katana literally scatters into one thousand tiny blades, which appear as sakura petals. The blades fly toward the opponent and are controlled as a whole unit by Byakuya swinging the hilt, as if he were still fighting with a normal katana. This attack can stop most opponents on its own, unless they are higher-level, such as another Captain, or someone of similar skill.
Senbonzakura’s Bankai is more complicated. Senbonzakura Kageyoshi is very much like the Shikai attack, only multiplied. To activate it, Byakuya drops his zanpakutou, blade-tip down, into the ground, which then swallows it up. Then two rows of a thousand giant sword blades rise on either side of him and those blades scatter into the “sakura petals,” just like in his Shikai. He can use this attack both offensively and defensively, as well as control the blades’ path with his own hand for more efficiency.
His Bankai can also take three other forms for maximum overkill power. Senkei is a more concentrated attack form, as Senbonzakura forms itself into four vertical rows of glowing swords, circling around Byakuya and his opponent. Instead of using the “petals” of his Shikai and Bankai, Byakuya calls each sword to him and fights sword-to-sword. He uses Senkei when he has sworn to destroy an enemy.
Gokei goes back to the “petal” attack, increasing the amount of tiny blades and surrounding the opponent in a sphere of those swirling blades. They then attack at every angle and eventually the sphere implodes, defeating the opponent that way. Byakuya has no defense against Gokei and has had to retreat to save himself from the power.
Shuukei: Hakuteiken is another sword fighting technique, making every tiny blade into one extremely powerful sword. Because of this power, it takes the shape of a bird and Byakuya appears to have bright white wings and a halo, giving him the ability to actually fly. One attack from this sword can cause grievous injury to the opponent.
As for Shunpo, Byakuya is well-known for being quite proficient in it, as well as two techniques. Senka involves moving so quickly, as well as attacking them, that it seems as if he just appears at his opponent’s back, leaving them, and untrained eyes, to wonder where the attack came from and when. Utsusemi is when he moves so quickly that he leaves behind “clones.” This is beneficial in distracting an opponent and giving Byakuya an opening should they fall for his clone.
He has been shown to use Kidou spells up to #81 and can cast them quickly and without the incantation. Because of his strength, he can even make lower level Kidou very dangerous.
Limitations: His reiatsu will be decreased by half. It will still be pretty powerful, but won’t produce the same reactions he’s used to. He can still recognize others if they are near enough to exert their reiatsu.
His Shikai and Bankai will remain intact, but using them for over fifteen minutes each will begin to wear on his physical strength. Senkei, Gokei, and Shuukei: Hakuteiken can also be accessed, but Byakuya will grow tired after around ten minutes of straight conflict.
Byakuya’s Shunpo will be slowed down slightly. Anyone with a trained eye will be able to figure out his moves more easily than back in his world, especially with Senka, and the “clones” with Utsusemi may still appear, but they won’t last long or they’ll flicker in and out, giving away Byakuya’s location.
On the Kidou front, Byakuya will no longer be able to cast without saying the incantation to each spell. This will cut down on his speed in combat. He will also lose some power with the lower level spells, though he can still access all levels he has already conquered.
If the mods feel he is still too overpowered, I would be happy to revise.
Writing Samples
Third Person Sample: (387 words)
Kuchiki Byakuya was a man of two worlds. He lived acutely in both, but never existed in both at the same time. When every day began, the sun’s rays not yet reaching through his windows, Byakuya awoke in an empty bed, in an empty room, and dutifully dressed himself. This morning was no different. In the darkness, he was just a man, small and lonely in the silence. Every morning he remembered when another shared his life, and her delicate smile haunted the first waking moments.
He shed his yukata onto the futon, the wrinkled fabric laying lifeless in the dim light of morning as Byakuya carefully put on his black shihakushou, tying his hakama with his white obi. The man slipped away a little more as every piece of clothing covered his skin, replaced by the other world. During this transformation, Byakuya felt numb, neither remembering his past nor thinking of the day ahead. His movements were mechanical, honed with years of practice and muscle memory. He then put on his gloves, hiding more of the man’s skin from sight, turning into his station even more. And then came the captain’s haori, its weight over his shoulders not nearly enough to equal the weight of his captaincy.
But his fingers paused over the scarf, as they did every morning. This was where the transformation began its end, where he would shed the man and leave him behind in that dim room, and become the stone that demanded respect, loyalty. He became Kuchiki Byakuya, captain of the Sixth Division of the Gotei 13, a Shinigami.
As he wound the scarf around his pale neck, Byakuya also put on his acceptance of a life bound to decisions not of his own making. A nobleman of his stature has access to nearly limitless funds for whatever he wished, but the knowledge that his Clan relied on him to keep face held him back from a happiness, a freedom he never allowed himself to dream of.
Parting his hair accordingly, however, Byakuya clipped the kenseikan into his raven locks, signifying himself as that stone nobility for all to see. Completely changed, he willingly accepted the burden of the Head of the Kuchiki Clan once again. It was his duty and he would do his best, and more, to fulfill it.
First Person Sample: He refuses to talk to a phone.